Nationwide Insurance will not return as sponsor of NASCAR’s second-largest series after its contract runs out in 2014.

The insurance company, which sponsors Roush Fenway Racing’s Ricky Stenhouse Jr. for three Sprint Cup races this year and four races next year, will move its motorsports dollars to focus on Cup teams and tracks starting in 2015.

Nationwide will remain as the official insurance carrier of NASCAR and will be the presenting sponsor of NASCAR’s Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award through 2017.

“It’s a natural evolution for Nationwide Insurance to move our marketing investment to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and we’ll continue to put tremendous effort behind all of our NASCAR marketing platforms in the years to come,” said Nationwide Chief Marketing Officer Matt Jauchius in a news release.

Nationwide will remain the sponsor for next season as NASCAR tries to find a new partner for the series, which was formed in 1982 from the NASCAR Late Model Sportsman Division and serves as the sport's top developmental series.

The series was sponsored by Anheuser-Busch from 1982-2007, starting as the NASCAR Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Series in 1982 and switching to the NASCAR Busch Grand National Series in 1984. It was renamed the Busch Series in 1995.

Nationwide took over in 2008. It was reported at the time that the seven-year deal was worth $10-12 million annually for NASCAR, although the SportsBusiness Daily reported Wednesday that Nationwide’s spend was about $8 million annually.

“The NASCAR Nationwide Series is a great proving ground not only for drivers and crew members, but for sponsors, too,” Jauchius said. “We’re proud of the success (of the program).”

The announcement comes just days after NASCAR dealt with a major credibility crisis over Michael Waltrip Racing attempting to manipulate the Chase for the Sprint Cup field with Clint Bowyer spinning out with seven laps remaining and then Brian Vickers coming down pit road in the waning laps to try to get teammate Martin Truex Jr. into the Chase.

NASCAR also continues to search for ways to give its top development series an identity. Starting in 2011, NASCAR required drivers to earn points in only one series, ending a string of five consecutive years where Sprint Cup drivers, pulling double duty in the Nationwide Series, won the title.

Drivers who earn points in the Nationwide Series have won just four of 26 races this year. Last year, they had won 13 of 26 races by this point.

“(Nationwide) has been highly successful in using our sport as a platform to enhance its brand and drive its business and has stated publicly how much value they glean as a series sponsor,” said NASCAR Chief Marketing Officer Steve Phelps in a statement.

“The fact that Nationwide will continue its investment across our sport — in a variety of ways and for many years to come — is encouraging and speaks to the power of NASCAR as a marketing platform.”

All three of NASCAR’s series sponsorship are up for renewal in the next couple of years.

Sprint, which is signed to sponsor the Cup Series through 2016, will have to decide in 2014 whether it will extend its deal.

Camping World CEO Marcus Lemonis said he would know by the end of this year if his company would continue beyond 2015 as the sponsor of NASCAR’s truck series.